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Naruto: Kageki(ナルト:影記 meaning Naruto: The Shadow Chronicles ) is an alternate universe story taking place in the Naruto Universe. It follows the adventures of a group of shinobi from Kagegakure as they journey to become exceptional ninja. The events of the storyline are contemporaneous with the canon Naruto anime.
Part I[]
Introduction Arc[]
Graduation[]
Kenji Kayuga, a student at the academy, takes for the final graduation exam, which consists of a demonstration of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and shurikenjutsu. For the first test, he easily performs the Body Replacement Technique and the Body Flicker Technique, impressing his teachers. For the next section, he is required to demonstrate taijutsu in a sparring bout with a Chūnin instructor, which he successfully does. Finally, Kenji is required to hit a target with shuriken and kunai. Kenji jumps into the air and hits the target perfectly with a set of shuriken, earning him a round of applause from both his teachers and fellow classmates, as well as a Kage forehead protector. Kenji heads home that evening to proudly tell his parents of his accomplishment. It is revealed that his father implanted in him two Byakugan when he was seven, as well as taught him high level Lightning Release Techniques.
Formation of Team 9[]
The next day, Kenji heads to the Academy for his orientation as a ninja. Itsumo arrives to call out the members of the three-man squads the ninja will be put into. Kenji is annoyed when it is revealed he is placed on the same team as Haruka Sakumi and Daisuke Murakami. He immediately protests, and Itsumo responds that the three had been placed on Team 9 for their special skills; Kenji for his overall high performance, Daisuke for his kenjutsu and Ketsugan, and Haruka for her skills with weapons. With Kenji silenced on the matter, the teams meet their Jōnin sensei, Hiashi Nakamura.
The 'Real' Graduation Test[]
Hiashi takes the team outside and uses the opportunity to let the team members get to know each other. Kenji says that he wants to be respected as a powerful ninja, and doesn't like to eat vegetables. Haruka implies that she likes Kenji, and doesn't dislike anything in particular. Finally, Daisuke says that he wants to avenge the Murakami Clan and doesn't like anything. Hiashi then tell them to report to the training grounds the next day.
Hiashi arrives at the training grounds the next day and tells Team 9 that they will now be given the 'real' graduation test. He explains how the evaluation will work; in order to pass, the three ninja must show both teamwork and individual skill. If they couldn't team up, work together, and fight him, they would all be sent back to the Academy. Hiashi further states that there were no rules, and the team would fail if they did not have the intent to kill him. The jōnin then departs in a puff of smoke.
A shocked Kenji says that there's no way he'd be sent back to the Academy after all the work he put in to graduate. Daisuke and Haruka share his sentiments, and begin to devise a plan of action.
As the test gets underway, Daisuke and Haruka go off to various positions, while Kenji searches for his sensei. He soon finds the jōnin, and throws a kunai at him. Hiashi catches the kunai with two fingers, and throws it back at Kenji, saying that he'd have to do better if he wants to pass. Annoyed, Kenji activates his Byakugan and attacks his sensei with the Gentle Fist. Hiashi evades all of Kenji's strikes, gets behind him, and uses One Thousand Years of Death to send Kenji into a nearby lake. Kenji recovers and announces he's done playing games. He uses the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique on Hiashi, which is countered by Hiashi's Water Release: Liquid Bullet Technique. A thick cloud of steam emerges when the two attacks collide. Realizing the steam would obscure Hiashi's vision, Kenji shouts at Haruka to begin her assault.
Kenji is revealed to have purposely lured Hiashi to that particular spot, where Haruka, a skilled weapons user, has set up multiple traps. The kunoichi launches a barrage of shuriken, kunai and various other ninja tools at Hiashi, all of which he dodges or blocks. The jōnin remarks that Kenji's and Haruka's coordination is excellent, but inquires where the third team member is. Daisuke responds that he's right above Hiashi, and slashes at him with his sword, the Ryūken. Daisuke then manages to trap Hiashi in a paralysis genjutsu. With his sensei immobilized, Daisuke tells Kenji to use "that technique".
Kenji prepares to use the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms on Hiashi. Recognizing the danger the attack imposes, Hiashi breaks the paralysis technique. As Kenji was about to hit Hiashi, he grabbed Kenji's wrists and tossed him into a nearby bush. Hiashi then passes the team, telling the three that they were the strongest genin team in Kagegakure.
Land of Silver Arc[]
Assignment[]
After completing a number of simple D-Rank missions, Kenji insists on doing a more exciting and challenging mission. At his insistence, the Third Kurakage assigns Team 9 the somewhat more difficult mission of escorting Takane, to the Land of Silver. Takane, a merchant, takes an immediate disliking to the genin trio, believing that as kids they are weak. Hiashi rebuts this, saying his team had the strongest genin in Kage. Still skeptical, Takane departs for the Land of Silver. En route to the Land of Silver, Hiashi detects the presence of two shinobi who are using the Chameleon Technique to conceal themselves. Team 9 is attacked by two Kumogakure Chūnin, who are easily knocked out by Kenji's taijutsu.
Hiashi, perplexed by the attack, asks Takane the real circumstances of the mission. Takane explains that the Land of Silver has been taken over by a powerful missing-nin, Zasaki, and his band of thugs. The Land of Silver was once prosperous, but since Zasaki's arrival the country has been thrown into a deep economic recession, due to Zasaki's reign of terror. Takane intends to raise enough funds to hire foreign ninja, in order to get rid of Zasaki. However, Zasaki does not want that to happen, so he uses ninja gangs to get what he wants.
Upon arrival at the Land of Silver and en route to Takane's home, Hiashi notices the chakra signature of an unknown shinobi. He tells his team and Takane to duck, as a 'cloud' of kunai pass over their heads.
The Butcher of the Hidden Rock[]
Hiashi activates his Kokugan
Zasaki, a missing-nin originally from Iwagakure, appears in front of the group, intent on killing Takane. Hiashi, recognizing Zasaki as a formidable opponent, activates his Kokugan. Zasaki, honoured by Hiashi's willingness to go all out for their battle, states that he would consider it a testament to his own skill if he were to kill Hiashi.
Zasaki ends the conversation with the Sandstorm Concealment Technique, creating an intense sandstorm to hide himself from the Kokugan. Hiashi orders his team to protect Takane, even as Zasaki appears behind the merchant, prepared to decapitate him with his katana. Hiashi uses the Kokugan's ability of superhuman speed to move himself to Takane's location, blocking Zasaki's katana with a kunai. Zasaki proceeds to bisect Hiashi at the waist, as Hiashi's body dissolves into a pile of mud, revealing that he used the Earth Clone Technique to fool Zasaki. Hiashi then stabs Zasaki in the chest, as he too collapses into a pile of mud. The real Zasaki appears behind Hiashi, and traps him in his Earth Binding Coffin, leaving Kenji, Daisuke, and Haruka to fight another one of Zasaki's Earth Clones. Hiashi tells them to flee, but Kenji and Daisuke enter the fight to save Hiashi. Kenji uses the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique at the original Zasaki, and Daisuke enhances it with his Wind Release: Air Cutter Technique, creating a massive explosion of fire. In order to escape unscathed, Zasaki releases Hiashi from the Earth technique.
With Hiashi free, Zasaki is forced to commence their battle, and the two use multiple earth techniques on each other. Due to his Kokugan, Hiashi is able to gain the upper hand, using the Earth Release: Landslide to immobilize Zasaki. He throws several kunai at the missing-nin, but before they hit their mark, a girl, later revealed to be Hana Sakamoto, uses a special teleportation technique to rescue Zasaki. Hiashi decides to continue escorting Takane home.
Training[]
With Zasaki's return a likely outcome, Hiashi takes Team 9 into the nearby woods for chakra training, and tells them that their training requires them to climb trees. Haruka says that this is impossible, and Hiashi, using only his feet, climbs the tree with ease. The three genin all attempt it; Haruka, not using enough chakra, takes several steps before sliding down the tree. Daisuke manages to make it halfway up the tree, but damages the tree due to using too much chakra. Kenji, having perfect chakra control, makes it to the top of the tree in his first attempt.
Training for Haruka and Daisuke continues, and eventually the two are able to climb their trees, though Haruka is exhausted as a result. Kenji is left in charge of protecting Takane, and is shocked at the state that the Land of Silver is in.
Round Two[]
The next morning, Hiashi, Kenji, Daisuke and Haruka escort Takane to work. En route to the shipyard, the area quickly became covered with a thick sandstorm. After a quick defeat of Zasaki's earth clones at the hands of Daisuke, Zasaki and Hana reveal themselves. Daisuke battles with Hana, and Zasaki is surprised to find that Daisuke can keep up with Hana's speed. Hana, also noticing Daisuke's capabilities, decides to use her trump card: the Glass Release, which traps Daisuke and Kenji in a glass dome. Hana proceeds to pummel the two with her Demonic Piercing Glass Spears
Kenji and Daisuke both attempt to destroy the glass, though each is unsuccessful. This turn of events leads Hiashi to believe that Hana is using a kekkei genkai, and that Kenji and Daisuke have no chance of winning. Because of this, he once again reveals his Kokugan, expressing his desire to finish the battle quickly. Zasaki explains that he has learned how to defeat the Kokugan, and disappears into the sand. As Hiashi instructs Haruka to guard Takane, Zasaki strikes, revealing to Hiashi that Zasaki is now attacking by sensing the former's chakra, effectively making the Kokugan useless. Zabuza, explaining that his specialty is killing people based purely on the signature of their chakra, attempts to finish off Takane, though Hiashi manages to parry the attack. Wary of the battle, Hiashi resorts to using his signature technique.
Meanwhile, the fight between Hana, Kenji and Daisuke continues, and the latter two are heavily wounded. Daisuke, however, is starting to dodge Hana's attacks. Hana, noticing this, attempts to attack an exhausted Kenji instead, though Daisuke manages to pull Kenji out of way. A shocked Hana notices Daisuke's eyes, and it is revealed that as a member of the Murakami Clan, Daisuke has finally awoken his own kekkei genkai: the Ketsugan, which enables him to see Hana's movements with ease. Hana, fearing for her success at winning the battle, goes for a finishing blow upon Kenji, though Daisuke rushes to Kenji's side to stop the attack. When Kenji awakens he finds a severely damaged Daisuke standing over him. Daisuke collapses into Kenji's arms moments later.
Kenji, enraged by Daisuke's loss, begins to expel a massive amount of chakra, which was so great that it became visible. Kenji begins to attack Hana, and the latter attempts to counter with lightning release ninjutsu, though they are easily blocked by Kenji's chakra. After releasing an enormous amount of chakra, Kenji shapes it into a dragon and shatters the dome.